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VINELAND — It seemed only fitting that when Ruben Bermudez made history Saturday as the city’s first Hispanic mayor that the inaugural event in his honor took place at a school on a historic register.

Bermudez and the newly elected City Council — Angela Calakos, Anthony Fanucci, Maritza Gonzalez, John Procopio and Paul Spinelli — took center stage in the Marion Theater of Landis Intermediate School, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1995.

It was standing room only in the theater, with more than 500 people in attendance. There were so many guests that ushers ran out of programs before the nearly three-hour event began at 12:30 p.m.

The lively celebration was punctuated with fiery gospel music, church and school choir performances, forceful Bible readings, and prayers.

“We will have transparent, accessible government,” Bermudez told the crowd. “You will have a voice in city government.”

A cornerstone of Bermudez’s campaign was his plan to involve citizens in advisory committees to help guide city policies.

“We need your help and we’re going to be calling on you. You need to be proactive,” the mayor said. Then, acknowledging a banner behind him on the stage, he added, “There is a lot we can do together like the message says: ‘One Vision, One City, Moving Forward.”

Bermudez replaces one-term incumbent Robert Romano, a former ally who lost in the Dec. 6 runoff election. Voters that day also swept Bermduez’s council slate into office, replacing all five members of Romano’s team that were elected in 2008.

Bermudez was sworn in Jan. 1 at City Hall in a simple ceremony performed by Superior Court Judge Julio Mendez, who also was the city’s first Hispanic solicitor. On Saturday, U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo administered a second, unofficial swearing-in for the mayor.

“Congratulations to Council and to Ruben and to the city of Vineland,” LoBiondo said. “I am proud to have a long number of years working with Ruben as a colleague, and for a lot of years we have worked together on many committees and events. But the thing that I am most proud of is to call Ruben my good friend.”

The council members took their oaths Saturday. Mendez swore in Calakos, Gonzalez, Fanucci and Spinelli. Procopio was sworn in by Superior Court Judge Howard U. Johnson Jr.

Bermudez, who sat near his daughters Deidre and Kimberly, wiped away tears as Mistress of Ceremonies Sheena Santiago reminded those gathered that “behind every great man is a woman.”

Santiago was speaking of Bermudez’s wife, Abigail “Vicky” Bermudez, who died in 2012 during the campaign. In 1980, the couple became business entrepreneurs who ran the successful Juvante Formal Wear shop in downtown Vineland.

“She helped him become a successful businessman,” Santiago, a former councilwoman, said. “He would not be here today if it were not for her. and we thank Vicky for polishing and blending him into a great mayor.”

Bermudez clasped his hands together, looked upward and said “Thank you, Vicky.” He wiped away more tears as he sat down.

When he addressed the crowd, Bermudez got down to business and declared “a war on crime.”

“Crime is one of the leading causes of the decline in our communities and neighborhoods. When crime takes over, decent law-abiding citizens find other places to live and do business,” Bermudez said.

“As your mayor, I will use the proactive approach rather than the reactive approach in addressing crime in our city.”

The mayor said he would hold true to his campaign trail promises and outlined his plans, beginning with job creation and economic growth.

“We will work hard for new job training and educational opportunities, including the creation of a four-year vocational technical high school in Cumberland County,” Bermudez said.

“We will support businesses that already call Vineland home,” he said.

Bermudez unveiled a plan called the “Mayor’s Business Visitation Program.” Under the program, special dates will be designated for business owners to talk with the mayor about problems or bring ideas.

“The theory holds that a seemingly minor matter like broken windows in abandoned buildings leads directly to a more serious deterioration of neighborhoods,” he said.

Bermudez said he wants to identify and rectify “quality-of-life issues affecting the city of Vineland residents and businesses.”

“As your mayor I will work hard to improve the quality of life of our residents and communities,” he said. “Quality-of-life issues include drug use and sale, illegal guns, noise, littering, vandalism, unpleasant or dangerous conditions in existence on public or private property.

“A city cannot progress if we fail to aggressively identify and correct quality-of-life issues,” Bermudez said. “Addressing quality-of-life issues will be the top priority of my administration.”

Former Vineland Board of Education member and local businessman Anthony Fanucci, who was later elected City Council president during a reorganization meeting that followed the inauguration, told those gathered he was honored by the call to service.

“This is an honor that words can’t bring,” he said. “I have to thank former Mayor Perry Barse because without him we (Fanucci, Calakos and Spinelli) wouldn’t be here.”

Barse, who served as mayor from 2000 to 2008, attended with ceremony with his family. Barse sought a return to the mayor’s office in the Nov. 6 election, but came in third place behind Romano and Bermudez and thus didn’t advance to the runoff.

However, three of his council running mates — Calakos, Fanucci and Spinelli — did make it to the runoff, and Bermudez invited them to join his team.

Calakos, a Rossi Intermediate School teacher, said she is the first Greek-American to serve on the council. She talked about her heritage and immigrant parents, praising her family and children. Her son, Petway School teacher Steven Calakos, sang the National Anthem at the opening of the program.

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“Every day during the campaign I would go into school and my students would say, ‘Did you win?’ And I would say, ‘No, not yet,” Angela Calakos said. “But now my life has changed in the blink of an eye. I hesitated for a split second, but I also know I am up for the challenge. As an NJEA (New Jersey Education Association) member, I have marched in Trenton and I have talked through a bullhorn from the sidewalks. I am proud to stand before you, and I will serve you as a member of the Bermudez team.”

Procopio and Gonzalez are teachers at Landis School.

“People kept saying, ‘Why do you want to do this?’ But I said, ‘How can I not give back to my community?’” Gonzalez said. She called out three of her students who sat in the audience to join her at the ceremony.

She cited education, patriotism and social responsibilities as the values of her vision for Vineland.

Procopio said there was no failing for the mayor and council as long as they kept their belief in God.

“God has graced this town with a chance to bring some of the things back that are great. It’s not just us — it’s all of us. And unless things are done together, a house divided will fall,” Procopio said. “There are tough times all over, but we can make a difference. Unless we do that, we will all fall. You have to come in and have your voice heard.”

Retired Atlantic City educator Paul Spinelli, who spoke last, told those gathered he was proud of the campaign they ran.

“There was no ‘I’ in this campaign,” Spinelli said. “When we talked, we said ‘we’. We, a people, worked hard to get a message out, and now we want to get Vineland out of the mess it’s in and move to a progressive state, like what we grew up in.”

More than a dozen clergy from various denominations attended, including Pastor Ozzie Heredia of Higher Places Ministries, where Bermudez attends services. Heredia provided the invocation.

Father Nick Rafael of St. Anthony Greek Orthodox Church, Monsignor John Burton of Divine Mercy Parish, the Rev. Peter Saporito of Padre Pio Parish and Belinda Hall of Mt. Zion United Method Church provided readings from the Bible. Monsignor Victor Muro of Divine Mercy Parish provided the closing prayer.

“This is the first time I have been invited to the inauguration of a mayor,” Muro said. “You are a good an honest man ... and all of you here. In God, everything is possible.”

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